University of Michigan’s Central Campus residence hall, as seen looking west from Hill Street. Rendering © RAMSA

The University of Michigan addresses a decades-long student housing shortage with a new housing-dining facility

The University of Michigan has faced a decades-long shortage of on-campus student housing. In a couple of years, the situation should significantly improve with the addition of a new residential community on Central Campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. The University of Michigan has engaged American Campus Communities in a public-private partnership to lead the development of the environmentally sustainable living-learning student community.

MFPRO+ New Projects

Shipping containers converted into attractive, affordable multifamily housing in L.A.

In the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles, a new affordable multifamily housing project using shipping containers resulted in 24 micro-units for formerly unhoused residents. The containers were acquired from a nearby port and converted into housing units at a factory.

Adaptive Reuse

Empty mall to be converted to UCLA Research Park

UCLA recently acquired a former mall that it will convert into the UCLA Research Park that will house the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, as well as programs across other disciplines. The 700,000-sf property, formerly the Westside Pavilion shopping mall, is two miles from the university’s main Westwood campus. Google, which previously leased part of the property, helped enable and support UCLA’s acquisition.

Geothermal Technology

Rochester, Minn., plans extensive geothermal network

The city of Rochester, Minn., home of the famed Mayo Clinic, is going big on geothermal networks. The city is constructing Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) that consist of ambient pipe loops connecting multiple buildings and delivering thermal heating and cooling energy via water-source heat pumps.

Engineers

Engineering goes hand-in-hand with design, putting a practical lens on the architect’s vision and finding the best way to make it happen. Without a talented engineer, the project will never reach completion, and certainly will not reach the standards of functionality and sustainability that the architect and client are seeking.

Mar 31, 2014

Extreme conversion: Soaring Canadian church transformed into contemporary library

Even before the St. Denys-du-Plateau Church was converted into a library, it was an unusual building, with a towering nave designed to mimic a huge tent inflated by the wind.

Bryan Arlington | Mar 31, 2014

Tips for creating a competitive bid using codes and loads

Landing a project feels like winning a prize, sort of like finding that forgotten $20 bill in the pocket of a pair of jeans you haven’t worn in a while. But living on the “chance” of winning a job isn’t a great way to pay your electric bill. So, how do you swing the chances in your favor?

Mar 28, 2014

Crazy commuting: British artist wants to construct 300-foot water slide on city street

Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram hopes that the temporary installation, once funded, will encourage the public to think about "how we want to use the city, and what sort of future we want to see.”

Steven Burns | Mar 27, 2014

Develop strategic thinkers throughout your firm

In study after study, strategic thinkers are found to be among the most highly effective leaders. But is there a way to encourage routine strategic thinking throughout an organization?

Mar 27, 2014

16 kitchen and bath design trends for 2014

Work on multifamily housing projects? Here are the top kitchen and bath design trends, according to a survey of more than 420 kitchen and bath designers.

Mar 26, 2014

Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies

Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com.

Mar 26, 2014

First look: Lockheed Martin opens Advanced Materials and Thermal Sciences Center in Palo Alto

The facility will host advanced R&D in emerging technology areas like 3D printing, energetics, thermal sciences, and nanotechnology.

Sydney's new Goods Line will be built in two stages, the first of which is set t

Mar 25, 2014

Sydney breaks ground on its version of the High Line elevated park [slideshow]

The 500-meter-long park will feature bike paths, study pods, and outdoor workspaces.

Mar 25, 2014

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger opens Chicago office

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH), an ENR 500, award-winning, national engineering firm, is pleased to announce the opening of its Chicago office, located at 225 West Washington Street, Suite 2200, Chicago, Illinois 60606. The expansion advances SGH’s commitment to serving clients in the region.

Mar 25, 2014

World's tallest towers: Adrian Smith, Gordon Gill discuss designing Burj Khalifa, Kingdom Tower

The design duo discusses the founding of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architects and the design of the next world's tallest, Kingdom Tower, which will top the Burj Khalifa by as much as a kilometer.